Mail delivery and receiving apparatus.



J. B. CARTER.

MAIL DELIVERY AND RECEIVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1913. RENEWED APR. 1, 1914.

Patented July .28, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

S w uemto z (75/271106! 272 w, 27 yv HE NORRIS PETERS 00.. PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON, Dv C J. B. CARTER.

MAIL DELIVERY AND RECEIVING APPARATUS. APiLIGATION FILED JULY 19, 1913. RENEWED APR. 1, 1914. 1,105,18 1.

Patented Ju ly 28, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

(EM/7, Oarjel J. B. CARTER. MAIL DELIVERY AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION BILED JULY 19, 1913. RENEWED APR. 1, 1014.

1,105, 181 Patented July 28, 1914.

s sums-sum 1 l 1 ll] 35 :i I I lZf fi I ll i 3h 25 I! j 24 5/ 35 v I" 35 37 anuemto'o 6w 170/? 5.0a nier i Mqzooeo da m I w, 2). m Q I, n I amflwa THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON l)v Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BELL CARTER, or CABTERVILLE, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoE 0F oNE-HALE To AMIEL BoneHI, or HEREIN, ILLINOIS.

MAIL DELIVERY AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 23, 1914..

Application filed m 19, 1913, Serial No. 780,047. Renewed April. 1, 1914.] Serial No. 828,907.

To all whom it mag concern: 4

Be it known that I, JOHN BELL CARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carterville, in the county of Williamson and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Mail Delivery and Receiving Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the art of handling mail bags and more particularly to a new and useful improved mechanism for the exchange of mail bags between a moving train and a holder arranged adjacent the track.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and reliable apparatus for handling mail bags in the above manner without injuring their contents.

As another object ofthe invention it is the aim to provide the. mechanism on the holder and the apparatus on the moving train with similarly constructed devices,

, automatically actuated by the exchanged bags for clamping each respective bag as exchanged.

Another object of the invention is the arrangement of a member of the mechanism,

of the train in such wise, that not only the device for clamping the bag to be received, is released, whenthe said member is actuated by the received bag, but which member acts to assist in releasing the bag to be delivered to the mechanism of the holder.

The annexed drawings are for illustrative purposes only, therefore, in reducing the invention to practice, the lnventor reserves,

the right to detailed alterations, provided they fall within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features} and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the mail bag exchange mechanism in the act of exchanging mail bags, and as applied to a moving car and a holder. Fig.

,2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

showing the exchange mechanism in elevation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged slde elevation of a mail car showlng its mall delivery and member.

angular arm6, the end 7 of which is provided with a'elip 8 to receive the loop of a mailbagi). The arm 5 terminates in clamplng members 10, secured by a bolt and nut 11 about. a tubularjmember 12. 1 1

Extending transversely of the doorway or open1ng13 of the car14 is a cylindrical bar 15, oneendof which; is secured in a-socket 16 of the plate 17 which is secured to the car. The other end of the, bar terminates, in a downwardly extending .arm 18 fitting the U-shaped or arch-shaped straps 19, which are securedto the car. Y

A second tubular member 20'is swiveled upon the rod 15, and adapted to be swung to either a vertical or horizontal position. A brace bar. 21 is likewise at 22 on'the bar 15 and is" fixedly connected. at 23 to the tubular member 20.

Each tubular member is providedwith a mail bag receiving mechanism similarlyconstructed. The mail recelvmgmechanism of each tubular member comprises a semi-circular arm 24 having a ring 25 at one. end and a semi-cylindrical clamping plate at the other end. This semi-cylindrical clamping plate 26 fits the outer portion of the tubular member, vthere being a correspondinglyshaped plate 27 opposite the plate 26. By means of the-plates 26and 27 and the bolts and nuts 28, the arm 24 is held to the tubular Each tubular member is constructed with slots 28*. Arrangedin each tubular member is a plunger 29 havin 'a pin 30 extending transversely thereof, WhlCh pin extends through the slots 28. Interposed between the plunger and an interior annular shoulder o the tubular member is a spring 31, the tendency of-which is to normally hold the plunger in one end of the tubular member and the plunger rod 32' exreceiving mechanismas applied in the door tended, in order to clamp a mail bag against the ring 25. The annular shoulder on the interior of the tubular member is designated by the numeral 33. Pivoted at 34: to the plates 26 and 27 is a lever 35 having a laterally extending plate 36 provided with a depression 37. When a mail bag is to be received and clamped, the plate 36 is disposed against the end of the tubular member, so that the end of the plunger rod will enter the depression. The spring 31 acting to force the plunger 29 outwardly in one direction, and owing to the arm 36 tending to move at an angle tangentially off from the line of movement of the plunger, the end of the plunger rod will frictionally bind in the depression or socket 37 ofthe arm 36, thereby not only holding the plunger rod back against the action of the spring 31, butalso holding the arm-36 in the position shown in Fig. 1. However, as the mail baigcontacts with the lever substantially at a, the lever will be oscillated upon its pivot, thereby withdrawing the plate 36 from the path of the plunger, which will spring outwardly and clamp the mail bag against the ring 25. The arm 24 is provided with a clip 38 to receive a loop of a mail bag, which is designed to be delivered to the receivin apparatus of the holder adjacent the track at the same time a bag is received by themechanism on the car, and vice versa. The lever 35 of the tubular member on the car has a spring 39 connectedto it andto an arm 40. y The action of this spring 39 assists the lever in withdrawing the plate 36 from the path of the plunger rod. The spring 39' also throws the lever sufficiently so as to contact with the loop 'ofthe mail bag 41, in order to assist in releasing "the same from the clip.

Secured in the tubular member 20 by means of the pivots or bolts or the like 42 is a handle 43. Swiveled on the handle, as at 45 is an arm 4&6, which, when the tubular member 20 is in position so that a mail bag will be clamped by the plunger rod, enga es 'the'floor of the car body. When the tubu ar member is disposed vertically this arm may be swung on its swiveled connection to a horizontal position parallel with the bar 15. The pin 30 of each plungerconstitutes means to be manually "gripped for setting the plunger, in engagement with its socket.

The invention having been set forth, what i's'claimed as new and useful is 1. In a mailbag exchange mechanism for mail cars, a tubular member swiveled to the car provided with'a mail bag receiving arm,

a spring-tension'ed plunger rod in the tubular member, and a device for holding said ro'd against the action of the spring, said device constituting means adapted to be automatically actuated by its contact with the mail bag to release the plunger rod, said mail rec'eivi 11g arm having a clip adapted to hold a bag to be delivered, said device hav ing means for further actuating the same to assist in releasing the bag to be delivered.

2. In a mechanism for delivering and re ,ceiving mail bags to and from a moving train, a tubular member having a mail receiving arm, a s'pring-tensioned plunger including a plunger rod mounted in the tubular member, a lever provided with a plate including a socket to receive one end of the rod to hold the plunger back in the tubular member against the tension of the spring, said lever adapted to be automatically actuated by a mail bag to withdraw the plate from the path of the-plunger rod.

3. In a mechanism for delivering and receiving mail bags to and from a moving train, a tubular member having a mail receiving arm, a s'pring-tensioned plunger including a plunger rod mounted in the tubular member, a lever provided with a plate including a socket to receive one 'end of the rod to hold the plunger back in the tubular member against the tension of the spring, said lever adapted to be automatically actuated by a mail bag to withdraw the plate from the path of the plunger rod, said mail bag receiving arm having a clip to receivethe loop of a mail bag to be delivered, and means to further actuate said lever to assist in releasing the bag to be delivered.

4. In a mechanism for deliveringfandreceiving mail bags to and from a moving train, a member provided with a plunger rod, a semi-circular mail bag receiving arm connected to the member and having a ring at one end and provided with a mail bag clip, a lever pivoted adjacent the member having a plate provided with a socket to receive one end ofthe plunger rod, means placed under tension through the medium of the rod engaging said socket to force the plunger rod outwardly to clamp a mail bag against the ring when the'lever is contacted with and actuated by a mailbag. 5. In amechamsm for dellvermg and receiving mail bags to and from a moving car, a rod arrangedtransversely ofthe car door openlng, a tubular member swiveled on said rod and having slots, a semi-circular mail bag receiving arm carried by one end of the tubular member and provided with a ring at one end a clip carried by the arm substantially mic way of its length to hold a mail bag to be delivered, a plunger including a" rod mounted in the tubular member and having a pin extending transversely thereof and through the slots, a lever pivoted adjacent the tubular member having a plate provided with a socket to receiveone end of the plunger rod, means placed under tension through the medium of the rod fitting "the i socket to throw the rod outwardly to-clamp a mail bag against said ring, said lever adapted to be automatically actuated by'a mail bag contacting therewith, means for name to this specification in the presence of further actuating said lever to cause the tWo subscribing witnesses. same to assist in releasing the bag to be delivered, said pin of the plunger constituting JOHN BELL CARTER" 5 means to be gripped manually for setting the Witnesses:

plunger in engagement with the socket. LUCY PIVITLE, In testimony whereof I have signed my LENA CARTER.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratentl,

- Washington, D. G." 

